The English and Scottish popular ballads, volume 2 (of 5)

Ballads, English -- England -- Texts; Ballads, Scots -- Scotland -- Texts

1
    'O lady, rock never your young son young
      One hour langer for me;
    For I have a sweetheart in Garlioch Wells
      I love far better than thee.

    2
    'The very sole o that ladye's foot
      Than thy face is far mair white:'
    'But, nevertheless, now, Erl Richard,
      Ye will bide in my bower a' night?'

    3
    She birled him wi the ale and wine,
      As they sat down to sup:
    A living man he laid him down,
      But I wot he neer rose up.

    4
    Then up and spake the popinjay,
      That flew aboun her head:
    'Lady, keep weel your green cleiding
      Frae gude Erl Richard's bleid.'

    5
    'O better I'll keep my green cleiding
      Frae gude Erl Richard's bleid,
    Than thou canst keep thy clattering toung,
      That trattles in thy head.'

    6
    She has calld upon her bower-maidens,
      She has calld them ane by ane:
    'There lies a deid man in my bowr,
      I wish that he were gane.'

    7
    They hae booted him, and spurred him,
      As he was wont to ride,
    A hunting-horn tied round his waist,
      A sharp sword by his side;
    And they hae had him to the wan water,
      For a' men call it Clyde.

    8
    Then up and spake the popinjay,
      That sat upon the tree:
    'What hae ye done wi Erl Richard?
      Ye were his gaye ladye.'

    9
    'Come down, come down, my bonny bird,
      And sit upon my hand;
    And thou sall hae a cage o gowd,
      Where thou hast but the wand.'

    10
    'Awa, awa, ye ill woman,
      Nae cage o gowd for me;
    As ye hae dune to Erl Richard,
      Sae wad ye do to me.'

    11
    She hadna crossd a rigg o land,
      A rigg but barely ane,
    When she met wi his auld father,
      Came riding all alane.

    12
    'Where hae ye been, now, ladye fair,
      Where hae ye been sae late?
    We hae been seeking Erl Richard,
      But him we canna get.'

    13
    'Erl Richard kens a' the fords in Clyde,
      He'll ride them ane by ane;
    And though the night was neer sae mirk,
      Erl Richard will be hame.'

    14
    O it fell anes upon a day
      The king was boun to ride,
    And he has mist him Erl Richard,
      Should hae ridden on his right side.

    15
    The ladye turnd her round about,
      Wi mickle mournfu din:
    'It fears me sair o Clyde water,
      That he is drownd therein.'

    16
    'Gar douk, gar douk,' the king he cried,
      'Gar douk for gold and fee;
    O wha will douk for Erl Richard's sake,
      Or wha will douk for me?'

    17
    They douked in at ae weil-heid,
      And out aye at the other:
    'We can douk nae mair for Erl Richard,
      Altho he were our brother.'

    18
    It fell that in that ladye's castle
      The king was boun to bed,
    And up and spake the popinjay,
      That flew abune his head.

    19
    'Leave aff your douking on the day,
      And douk upon the night;
    And wherever that sackless knight lies slain,
      The candles will burn bright.'

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

General

The English and Scottish popular ballads, volume 2 (of 5)

Ballads, English -- England -- Texts; Ballads, Scots -- Scotland -- Texts

1
    'O lady, rock never your young son young
      One hour langer for me;
    For I have a sweetheart in Garlioch Wells
      I love far better than thee.

    2
    'The very sole o that ladye's foot
      Than thy face is far mair white:'
    'But, nevertheless, now, Erl Richard,
      Ye will bide in my bower a' night?'

    3
    She birled him wi the ale and wine,
      As they sat down to sup:
    A living man he laid him down,
      But I wot he neer rose up.

    4
    Then up and spake the popinjay,
      That flew aboun her head:
    'Lady, keep weel your green cleiding
      Frae gude Erl Richard's bleid.'

    5
    'O better I'll keep my green cleiding
      Frae gude Erl Richard's bleid,
    Than thou canst keep thy clattering toung,
      That trattles in thy head.'

    6
    She has calld upon her bower-maidens,
      She has calld them ane by ane:
    'There lies a deid man in my bowr,
      I wish that he were gane.'

    7
    They hae booted him, and spurred him,
      As he was wont to ride,
    A hunting-horn tied round his waist,
      A sharp sword by his side;
    And they hae had him to the wan water,
      For a' men call it Clyde.

    8
    Then up and spake the popinjay,
      That sat upon the tree:
    'What hae ye done wi Erl Richard?
      Ye were his gaye ladye.'

    9
    'Come down, come down, my bonny bird,
      And sit upon my hand;
    And thou sall hae a cage o gowd,
      Where thou hast but the wand.'

    10
    'Awa, awa, ye ill woman,
      Nae cage o gowd for me;
    As ye hae dune to Erl Richard,
      Sae wad ye do to me.'

    11
    She hadna crossd a rigg o land,
      A rigg but barely ane,
    When she met wi his auld father,
      Came riding all alane.

    12
    'Where hae ye been, now, ladye fair,
      Where hae ye been sae late?
    We hae been seeking Erl Richard,
      But him we canna get.'

    13
    'Erl Richard kens a' the fords in Clyde,
      He'll ride them ane by ane;
    And though the night was neer sae mirk,
      Erl Richard will be hame.'

    14
    O it fell anes upon a day
      The king was boun to ride,
    And he has mist him Erl Richard,
      Should hae ridden on his right side.

    15
    The ladye turnd her round about,
      Wi mickle mournfu din:
    'It fears me sair o Clyde water,
      That he is drownd therein.'

    16
    'Gar douk, gar douk,' the king he cried,
      'Gar douk for gold and fee;
    O wha will douk for Erl Richard's sake,
      Or wha will douk for me?'

    17
    They douked in at ae weil-heid,
      And out aye at the other:
    'We can douk nae mair for Erl Richard,
      Altho he were our brother.'

    18
    It fell that in that ladye's castle
      The king was boun to bed,
    And up and spake the popinjay,
      That flew abune his head.

    19
    'Leave aff your douking on the day,
      And douk upon the night;
    And wherever that sackless knight lies slain,
      The candles will burn bright.'

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The English and Scottish popular ballads, volume 2 (of 5)

The English and Scottish popular ballads, volume 2 (of 5)

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